Onward to Freedom
by cerealkiller78
Summary: My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. I survived the hunger games twice. I defied the president to overthrow him and end the hunger games for good. I am the mockingjay who led the revolution against him, and now...I am going to die.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, so this is kind of a "what if" story. The what if, being "What if Katniss had gotten captured during the events of mockingjay? As you can probably guess, this story isn't going to be full of roses and butterflies….actually, I take that back. Because it will indeed have roses….**

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. I survived the hunger games twice. I defied the president to overthrow him and end the hunger games for good. I am the mockingjay who led the revolution against him, and now….I am going to die.

It is these six facts that plague me as I am dragged down the halls of the mansion. Dragged, not because of resistance on my part, but because my legs can no longer support my weight. To finally capture the mockingjay is a pretty big deal. So of course, they all wanted a piece of me.

Jabs, kicks, punches were thrown. Someone hit me over the head a few times with the butt of a gun after I lost my footing. Yet another followed it up with a swift kick to my face. That was when I finally blacked out.

That is where I am now, coming to, with those six facts repeating themselves in my head, while being dragged down the halls.

Upon entering a large room, they finally come to a stop. The place reeks of roses, and I know who's there before I even find the strength to lift my head.

He is right in front of me. This is where I have been fighting to get to all this time. All I need is an arrow, a gun, a knife, anything really. But they took everything from me. I am so close to ending this…yet so far.

The guards drop me, or more accurately, throw me to the ground before Snow gives them the ok to leave.

I lift my head up and glare at him.

"I think their in a better mood today than they usually are…" I manage to say sarcastically.

He laughs lightly. "Well, you did make us look pretty bad."

"Oh? And using your own Capitol's children as a human shield for your own pathetic life isn't too bad?" I shoot back.

Pain erupts in my ribs as he kicks me. I cough harshly and wait for the pain to subside.

"Did….I hit a nerve?"

"Hardly. I simply wanted to kick you."

"You know, it really doesn't make you look very tough to kick a girl while she's already down…"

"Tough?" He whirls on me, then gets down to his knees so he can look me in the eye.

"Do you think that is what I am Miss Everdeen? Tough?"

I remain silent.

"I suppose you also think that I want to break you, get information out of you."

This confuses me…He doesn't? After a long pause, he speaks again.

"Why would I want information on anyone else other than you? And I don't need you to tell me about yourself or your personal life. Peeta was already so kind to tell me all the little details…before I ripped them out of his memory."

I shudder involuntarily.

"Miss Everdeen, I am not tough, I am everything that you fear. But let my actions speak for themselves. I do not expect to break you. I expect to shatter your world into a million pieces. No amount of therapy will help bring you back. No amount of morphling, or medication. Even if I were to send you myself to the best hospital the Capitol has to offer. Not even if your precious sister or your father himself came back, would you be able to walk upright, or speak coherent sentences."

Prim… I think longingly. Tears cloud my vision. He takes me by the neck and raises my head from the ground until we are face to face with each other.

"When I'm done with you, you won't know which way is up or down, and all you'll see is my face and my voice repeating in your head…Weak."

Despite the fear going through me even now, I manage to sound brave. "I doubt that, you aren't that frightening."

Stars cloud my vision suddenly as I find myself thrown face-first on the floor. He gets up again, walking around me like some wild animal stalking its prey.

"And you think you're invincible? I've killed thousands of people effortlessly. I've seen families rip apart and turn on each other. I've walked the path of hatred and tasted the bitterness of wrath. I've been so drenched in blood that I was unrecognizable. I've made those who loved me turn and want to destroy me. I've broken hearts to a point where one can no longer go on living. I've bought the blood of others to do my bidding. I've seen my plans go off so perfectly, that it seemed no one was trying to stop me. I've commanded armies and controlled the earth itself. I've shaken hands with the devil, and survived when he did not."

**AN: That last paragraph does NOT belong to me. But I just had to use it. It's original author comes from KHchick101 on a teen titans fic called "Saving Grace", check it out. This story is kind of inspired by that one…but I hope I'm not making it too similar…Anywho…**

I can practically feel the anger pouring from him. Yet through his entire rant, he keeps his calm, steady voice. That is worse than if he had been yelling those things directly into my ear.

He presses a button and the guards come back and pick me up off the floor.

"Keep that in mind Miss Everdeen." And with that, the guards exit the room, and I find myself once again being dragged through a maze of hallways until we come across another room.

This one is fairly small. A simple four walled room with nothing but a post in the middle of the room with a camera on a tripod accompanying it.

As they take me to the post, I can't help feeling that this post looks frighteningly similar to the one Gale was tied to when…When…

The realization hits me like a ton of bricks. My energy suddenly returns in full force as my body goes into panic mode, and I writhe and fight against those holding me. But unfortunately, I am outnumbered, and no matter how strong my body may think it is at the moment, the truth of the matter is that I do have numerous injuries already.

The post has shackles attached to it, and as they secure my wrists, I become aware of another horror.

One of them approaches me with a knife, but he does not cut me. No, I would have wished for him to cut me, rather than cutting through the fabric of my clothing, stripping me down until there is nothing left but soft, easily penetrable flesh.

Of course, my pain isn't enough for them. They want to completely humiliate me. Show off their long desired mockingjay prize in full.

I catch a glimpse of the whip. Unlike the post which reminded me of Gale, this whip is nothing like what was used on him. I would have wished for the whip that was used on Gale, to be used on me. I would have begged and pleaded for that kind of whip to be used on me after seeing this monstrosity that they had for me.

Sharp bone, weights of lead, broken glass are just some of the things decorating the cords on this whip. Even with how cruel the Capitol is, they have never used something so atrocious on their victims. This looks like something straight out of medieval times…Only the best for their precious mockingjay.

As the red light on the camera comes on, President Snow opens with his usual spiel for an introduction to the audience.

"As the war wages on, let the rebels know that we now have their ultimate symbol, their mockingjay in our hands." The camera pans to me.

"Let this be a message to the rebels. Your precious mockingjay is nothing more than a regular helpless teenage girl, as you can clearly see."

I try not to think of all the people who are seeing me fully exposed right now.

"And starting now, she will pay for each and every one of the crimes that she has done, and that she has aided in."

With that, he steps to the side, and the first lash comes down with excruciating pain exploding in my back.

I would have tried holding back signs of my pain, but the first lash catches me off guard. I doubt that even if I had been prepared I would be able to stop the scream that escapes me.

Again, and again it comes down unrelentingly, often getting stuck in my skin, resulting in them yanking it out, along with chunks of flesh. My resolve is shattered instantly. There is no hiding the pain of this. I can only hope that my mother is not watching this broadcast.

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. Somebody…anybody please just kill me.

***SOBS* I know people…. I AM SO HORRIBLE!**

**Anywho, the next chapter will likely focus on district 13, and their reactions to seeing this.**

**Leave reviews! They make me happy! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Johanna's POV**

It has felt like so long since Katniss and the others left. I have felt so useless being cooped up here in thirteen. It was just a couple days ago that they finally allowed me to get out of my bed again. I guess I should be thankful for that small victory. But it's a far cry from being out with Katniss taking Snow down. I should be out there. Snow has ruined my life just as much as he has ruined katniss', if not more.

I'm wandering the halls aimlessly. Searching for something, anything useful that I can do, when I pass by one of the many screens mounted on the walls that show the propos. As if on cue, the screen comes to life with the presidential seal.

Well, I've got nothing better to do…I think to myself as I cross my arms and lean up against the wall as Snow's face comes on the screen.

Snow…The man who ruined my life, and made me horrified of one of the most essential things to life, Water. I still feel like a crazed cat around it, but the doctors have finally been able to convince me that it's not going to kill me to at least drink it. Up until a few days ago, they had to put the water inside me intravenously, while I was asleep. Because even though I may have even wanted water in my mouth, I wanted to live even more. I was convinced that even putting water inside of me would cause the shocks to start up again. I would have died if it weren't for those doctors that fought with me to put me under just so they could put some life sustaining sustenance inside me.

"As the war wages on, let the rebels know that we now have their ultimate symbol, their mockingjay in our hands."

That snaps me from my thoughts, and back to reality. I try to process what my ears have just heard, when the camera pans from Snow, to a familiar figure shackled to a post.

"Katniss…" I say barely above a whisper.

I cannot believe my eyes. I refuse to believe what I am seeing. She looks horrible. They have stripped her of all clothing. You can clearly see all of the bruising and marks she has on her body.

By now, everyone passing me in the halls have now stopped, and there is a crowd growing around the screen as people gasp and try and see what's going on. Snow's voice is heard again.

"Let this be a message to the rebels. Your precious mockingjay is nothing more than a regular helpless teenage girl as you can clearly see. And starting now, she will pay for each and every one of the crimes that she has done, and that she has aided in."

With that, he steps out of the screen's view, and nothing could have prepared the now large crowd of people for what happened next.

Some people gasp, others shriek, as a whip comes down across her back, spurting blood on even the first blow.

But I remain silent and still as she screams in pain. Normally, I would rip the screen right off the wall, and stomp it to pieces, but by now, I am used to seeing blood and hearing screams. But that doesn't mean I'm calm and collected on the inside. If anything, I am a complete train wreck on the inside, but I can control myself on the outside from the time that I myself spent in the Capitol.

The fifth lash comes down, and they rip it out of her flesh after the sharp objects get stuck. This repeats multiple times.

By the time the tenth lash falls, she is being supported only by the shackles securing her wrists, her body has given out. She convulses as the strikes continue just as unrelentingly as when they had begun. By the twenty fifth blow, only a small groan is heard. By the thirtieth…nothing. Just the sick sound of the whip colliding with the mangled meat that's left of her backside. I know she's probably only unconscious, but I hope she is dead, Because that would be better for her. I know from my own experience there, and if it was hard for me, then it's going to be horrible for her, they just proved that…all because she's the mockingjay, the face of this revolution.

Finally, after thirty five lashes, they stop. They unshackle her from the post, and drag her away, leaving a blood red trail before the broadcast ends.

In a way, my time spent in the Capitol is a huge disadvantage on myself, because I know better than anyone else, what she is going through there.

But, in a way, it is also an advantage. Because I am able to control myself, and right now, that is exactly what the people here need; someone who can stay in control. As the broadcast ends, chaos envelopes everyone here. There are people screaming at, and cursing the screen. Others are simply staring at the screen in a daze, not comprehending what they just witnessed. Still, others are sobbing and weeping, refusing to be comforted, as if they just saw the last hope that they had in the world shrivel up.

As for myself, I do the one thing that seems most appropriate at this time. I touch the three middle fingers of my left hand to my lips, and hold it out toward the screen in the all familiar hand gesture, as I whistle the four notes everyone has come to know so well.

**Ok, short chapter, I know…but I already have half of the next chapter written out, I just need to type it out and get it finished, so hopefully it won't be too long before I update again. Hope this chapter was ok.**

**PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS! I like to know what my readers think of my stories! Reviews do to me, what star wars does to sci-fi geeks xD**

**Oh ya, and I almost forgot…..****BAH HUMBUG TO YOU ALL! xDD**


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